Oklahoma State Basketball Preview 2021

PreviewsNCAAMBig 12 BasketballOklahoma State Cowboys

Nov 1

Our Oklahoma State basketball preview 2021 - 22 projects that the Cowboys look like they’ll be making it two NCAA Tournament appearances in a row. Head coach Mike Boynton (78-52 Oklahoma State/Overall, 4 years) has done a good job of attracting talented, motivated players. Last season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-9 Overall, 11-7 Big 12) finished fifth in the conference. In March Madness, they beat Liberty 69-60 in the Round of 64. However, OSU lost to Oregon in the next round 70-80. Perhaps the best news for this team is that they will have 81 percent of their returning minutes. That’s a Big 12 best.

Cowboys Frontcourt

As a sophomore last year, forward Kalib Boone had a breakthrough season. About midway through last season, Boone transformed into a huge force on offense and defense. A creative shooter, he hit 64.2 percent of his field goals. Boone averaged 9.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG. On D, he led the Big 12 in blocks. Our Oklahoma State basketball preview 2021 - 22 observes that as a freshman last year Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe was a game-changer. Moncrieff, who grew into his role, was good for 9.0 PPG and 5.3 RPG. He shot a healthy 51.3 percent from the floor. The big deal this year is the addition of AAC Rookie of the Year Moussa Cisse. The 6’10” sophomore center has a 7’4” wingspan and 9’4” standing reach. As a freshman last season, while averaging just 18.6 MPG, Cisse was good for 1.6 BPG, 6.6 PPG, and 6.3 RPG. He comes to OSU having worked extra-hard on his shooting skills during the offseason.

Oklahoma State Basketball Preview – Backcourt

First-Team All-American Cade Cunningham (20.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG) is gone. However, this is still a talented and deep backcourt. Junior Avery Anderson III returns after recording 12.2 PPG overall and 19.2 PPG through Oklahoma State’s final six games, which included three nationally-ranked teams. Instead of going to the NBA, Anderson decided to come back and develop more of his skills. Sophomore transfer Bryce Thompson, who played for Kansas last year, underperformed due to injury. However, the highly regarded Thompson should provide OSU with plenty of scoring power. Senior point guard Isaac Likekele is a backcourt anchor who ably controls the ball and sets up plays. Last season, he shot 48.2 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from downtown. He was good for 9.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 3.6 APG. In addition to the players mentioned, there’s solid depth ready to step in and play.